Pulp distributor



March 1, 1932. N. H. BERGSTROM PULP DI STRIBUTOR Filed July 14, 1930 mmol w w IN VEN TOR.

A TTORNE Y.

Patented Mar. 1, 1932 UNITED STATES NATHAN H. BERGSTROM, v01E NEENAH, WISCONSIN' PULP DISTRIBUTOR Application filed July 14, 1930. Serial No. 467,835.

The present invention relates in general to improvements in the art of manufacturing sheet material such as paper, and relates more specifically to improvements in the construc- 5 tion and operation of devices for distributing fluent substances such as a mixture of fibrous material and liquid, over the transporting surface of a conveyor such as the Wire cloth or screen of a Fourdrinier.

A general object of the invention is to pro vide an improved device for distributing fluent'material over an advancing surface by which the material is being transported.

It is customary in the art of manufacturing paper and the like, to provide a so-called Fourdrinier comprising a screen or wire cloth conveyorhaving a constantly advancing material transporting and liquid drainage portion, and a feeder for delivering the pulp or mixture of fibrous material and liquid to the advancing screen portion in the form of a layer or film of regulable thickness. it has been found that the fluent mixture after leaving the feeder, does not remain at its initial level or thickness, and when treating certain kinds of'stock, it is impossible with the ordinary feeder to insure uniform distribution of the material over the entire screening area,

effectively eliminating this defect of the prion paper making machinery, whereby the fluent mixture or pulp may be uniformly distributed over the transporting screen, regardless of the characteristics of the pulp. Another specific object of the invention is to provide means for effecting convenient adjustment of the distributor so as to permit advantageous utilization thereof under various conditions. These and'other objects and advantagesi will appear from the following detailed description.

5 A clear conceptionof an embodiment of the invention and of the mode of constructing.

andof operating devices built in accordance therewith, may be had by referring to' the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification in which like reference characters designate. the same or similar parts in the several views.

Fig. 1 is a vertical section on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2, through a fragment of a sheet forming machine of the type customarily used in the manufactureof paper, the machinehaving several of the improved distributors associated therewith; and I Fig. 2 is a top view of the apparatus shown in section in Fig. 1. 7

Referring to the drawings, the sheet forming machine which is of ordinary construc: tion, comprises in general a wire cloth or perforated band. conveyor 3 which is constantly movable upon rotary supports including a breast roll 4, rotatably mounted in adjustable bearings carried by a main frame 5. The conveyor .3 co-acts with one or morejadjustable tensioning rollers 16 also supported by the frame 5, and has an upper material transporting and drainage portion co-acting with a series of parallel table rolls 6. A pulp feeder 7 .comprising an adjustable feed plate 8 is adapted to deliver fluent material such as fibrous pulp through a discharge opening 9 in the formof a layer of-variable thickness upon the upper constantly advancing portion .of the conveyor 3. Disposed directly above the material advancing portion of the conveyor 3, is a series of elongated distributor plates 10, each having a lower edge cooperable with the material being transported bythe conveyor 3, to uniformly distribute the said material over the, upper conveyor 7 formed in the supporting bars 11. The plates 10 extend away from the feeder opening 9 in the direction of advancement of the conveyor 3, and each of the plates 10 is deflectable in the manner indicated in Fig. 2.

During normal operation of thepaper making machine, the conveyor 3 is being advanced in a manner to cause the upper materialtransporting portion thereof to move away from the feeder discharge opening 9.

The pulp is delivered from the feeder 7 through the opening 9 and upon the upper run of the conveyor 3 in the form of a continuous layer of Width approximating that of the conveyor belt. As the layer of pulp is advanced over the table rollers 6, the liquid is drained from the fibrous material constituting the pulp mixture, and the relatively dry sheet of fibre subsequently treated in suitable machinery to produce the final paper. While the thickness of the layer of pulp delivered from the feeder discharge opening 9 may be relativelyuniform at the, time of such delivery, this thickness frequently changes as the layer is advanced by the conveyor 3, and such variation in thickness is detrimental to the production of a uniform final product. In order to eliminate such variation in thickness of the layer and consequent production of inferior final product,

the distributors 10 may be set to uniformly te rs Patent distribute the pulp being advanced by the conveyor, during the drainage of liquid therefrom, thus insuring the production of paper of uniform quality.

The position of each plate 10 may be readily-varied by manipulation of the nuts 13, 1 1'. Thesenuts-lS, 14 and the supporting rods 12 not only permit lateral adjustment and de fi'e'ction of the distributor plates 10, but also permit vertical adjustment thereof inorder to accommodate different thicknesses of layers being transported by the conveyor 3. It will also be'apparent that any number of thesedistributor-plates '10 may be provided, andv that these plates 10 may be formed of any suitable material especially adapting them fortheir inten ded purpose.

QIt shouldbe ui'iderstood'that it is not desired to limit thepresent invention to the exact details of construction and to the precise mode of operation herein shown and described, for various modificationswithin the scope of the claimsmay'occur to persons skilled in the art. r

It isclaimed and desired to secure by Let 1. In combination, a conveyor having a materia'l transporting surface, means for feeding: a mixture of fibrous material and liquid-upon said conveyor surface during advancement thereof, and a normally stationary adjustable plate extending in the general direction of travel of said conveyor, said plate cooperating with said surface to distribute said material thereoverr I In combination, a perforated conveyor, means'for feeding a mixture of fibrous material upon said conveyor during advance thereof, and means having an exten ing in the gene aldirection of advancement of said convey r and cooperatin therewith to distribute said mixtnr drainage of the liquid t not perforations,

3. In combination, a perforated conveyor, means for feeding a mixture of fibrous material upon said conveyor during advancement thereof, and a plate adjustably supported above and having an edge cooperable With and ex ending in the general dir ction of advancement of the transporting surface of said conveyor to distribute said mixture over said surface before drainage of the liquid through the conveyor perforations. V

In combination, aperforated conveyor, means for feeding a n'iixture of fibrous material upon said conveyor during advancement thereof, and a series of laterally adjustable plates supported above and each having an edge cooper-able With and extending in the ral direction of advancement of V the rface'of said conveyor to disxture over saidvsurrace before drainage or the liquidthrough the conveyor perforations.

3 In combination, a conveyor having a perforated material transporting portion, a feeder for delivering a layer of mixture of r L n, and means comprising an elonv r xtending away from the delivery 7 of said feeder and in the general "ti of advancement of said conveyor po tion to ubscquently uniformly distribute 'ng in the general direction of advancement f the transporting surface of said conveyor 'to subsecuiently uniformly distribute said mixture over said conveyor before drainage of the liquid through the conveyor perforations.

7. In combination, Wire cloth conveyor, a feeder for delivering a layer of mixture of fibrous material-and liquid upon the transporting surface of said conveyor, a plurality of plates extending away from said feeder in the 'eneral direction of travel of said conveyor, said plates presenting distributing edges disposed in close proximity to said convcyor' surface, and means for effecting independent adjust-i ient of each of said plates.

8. In combination, a Wire cloth conveyor, a feeder for delivering a layer of mixture of fibrous material and liquid upon the transporting surface of said conveyor, a plurality of plates extending away from said feeder in the direction of travel of said conveyor, said plates presenting distributing edges disposedin close proximity to saidconveyor surface, and means for effecting both'vertical and horizontal adjustment of each of said plates. 7 V r 9. In combination, a conveyor having a e ial and liquid upon said conmaterial transportinfg surface, a feeder for delivering a layer of uent material upon said conveyor surface, means for adjusting said feeder to vary the thickness of said layer, a plate extending in the general direction of advancement of said conveyor for subsequently distributing said material uniformly over said surface, and means for adjusting said plate to cooperate with layers of material of varying thickness.

10. In combination, a perforated conveyor, a feeder adjustable to deliver layers of pulp of various thicknesses upon said conveyor, a series of plates for subsequently uniformly distributing said pulp over said conveyor, and means for effecting both vertical and horizontal adjustment of each of said plates.

11. In combination, a conveyor having a material transporting surface, means for feeding a mixture of fibrous material and liquid upon said conveyor surface during advancement thereof, and a normally stationary vertically and laterally adjustable plate extending in the general direction of travel of said conveyor, said plate cooperating with said surface to distribute said material thereover.

12. In combination, a perforated conveyor, means for feeding a mixture of fibrous material upon said conveyor during advancement thereof, and means having a vertically and laterally adjustable edge extending in the general direction of advancement of said conveyor and cooperating therewith to distribute said mixture thereover before drainage of the liquid through the conveyor perforations.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

NATHAN H. BERGSTROM. 

